Magazine Writers' Salaries

Yelena Shuster, writing for Ed2010, recently revealed that the salaries for most magazine writers is $31,000-$39,000 a year--not bad for entry-level jobs of people who don't have a degree in journalism, either. The average age of the 300 respondents to a survey was 23. Tara Cox, Managing Editor for Everyday with Rachael Ray offered suggestions for salary negotiations when beginners take the next step (up):

1) Ask if there's overtime pay.
2) Know which company's benefits are flexible.
3) Get agreements in writing.
4) Make the most of the perks like free food.

I can say "Amen!" to number three, having had a couple of jobs where the workplace reality didn't match the job description, when more tasks piled on and benefits were slashed. How you force an employer to put it in writing, however, is another form of negotiation that might tag you as a potential trouble-maker.